The hot list - April 2013

Sometimes in the world of gadgets, you get fallow periods. But then there are months that are a veritable cornucopia of contraptions. This is one such month, motivating us to bring you a one-off gadget special, celebrating the cream of the crop

Samsung Galaxy S4

Hardware

Samsung is rapidly approaching bitter rival Apple in terms of the furore that builds up around the release of its new products. But does the Galaxy S4 live up to the hype? Seemingly, yes. It certainly packs a lot of innovation into a small package, whether that’s its hands-off ‘Air Gestures’ allowing you to control the device by swiping above the surface, or its Smart Pause feature that pauses video content whenever your eye leaves the screen. With more new software than you can shake a stick at, the S4 should certainly make a splash when it touches down later this quarter.

Myo

Hardware

Watching Mark Hamill in Star Wars control distant objects at the slightest flick of his wrist left a whole generation with an indelible fantasy that one day they might be able to do the same. Well, with Myo, we have taken one step closer to realising it. Available now for pre-order, this uber-smart armband interprets the electrical activity in your muscles and allows you to use hand gestures to control your electronic devices. The only worry now is that we’ll wake up and realise it was just a beautiful dream...

Chromebook Pixel

Heading

There are some things that no longer surprise. High resolution? Nup. Touchscreen? Yawn. On a laptop? Now that, at least on a device that isn’t a tablet-hybrid, is still something of a rarity. The Chromebook Pixel is Google’s first touchscreen laptop, adding a new way to engage with professional content without sacrificing power or versatility. Ranking higher res than Apple’s Retina Macbook Pro at 236 ppi and packing plenty of punch in its steely, minimal case, the Chromebook Pixel is an interesting step forward for high-end laptops.

Pebble

Hardware

Smartwatches are finally securing some serious attention, aided in part by the recent buzz around Apple’s proposed iWatch. But for a lot of us, the fascination really started around the initial Kickstarter bid for Pebble. Now hitting the mat for some backers and available for pre-order, this programmable E-paper smartwatch is a beautiful option offering excellent smartphone integration and making checking texts, skipping through your music library or receiving Facebook alerts a breeze.

About the Author

Our former editor, Russell was the man in charge of properly apostrophising our publication and ensuring Oxford commas are mercilessly excised. Our former digital doyen, he’s also a Photoshop pro, a dab hand with InDesign and the man to go to if you need a four-hour soliloquy about the UK's best silicon startups.